heart rate monitors

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gecho
gecho Posts: 426 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Which is better, a heart rate monitor around the chest, wrist or finger?
anyone know where i can get a cheap one? like $20ish dollars. I'm on a MAJOR budget!

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  • EE0710
    EE0710 Posts: 8
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    I only have experience with the one around my waist & I love it! I was surprised when it didn't get in the way or bother me. It fits right under the elastic on my sportsbra. The brand I have is Polar...tried a cheaper one first & it really didn't work so good. I think I got mine at Walmart and paid about $50 for it. Good Luck!
  • ChubbieTubbie
    ChubbieTubbie Posts: 481 Member
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    People will tell you that the chest strap monitors are the most accurate, but they can be pricey. I have a chest strap one that I absolutely hate because it keeps losing my darn heart beat when I run. I also have a watch one, where you press a button to measure your heart rate--but you have to measure it often to be accurate, I usually check it once every 30 seconds or so while I jog, bike or walk. I stopped using the chest strap one because I feel like I at least have more control over the watch one, since I know it's reading my heart rate! Anyway, when I used them at the same time the readings matched up perfectly, so I think both are fine.
    Edit to add: The watch one I have is from wal-mart and was $20. The chest strap one was $45.
  • Reinbach
    Reinbach Posts: 6
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    I would say around the chest is the most accurate ones because they are the closest too the heart. As for cost, if you are on a budget you have a free one built into your body if you have a clock around =) Unless you have a heart condition and need to closely monitor your heart rate, I would be more concerned about just doing the exercise to completion. But that's just me =)
  • emersoam
    emersoam Posts: 179
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    Chest is best!
  • jrich1
    jrich1 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    People will tell you that the chest strap monitors are the most accurate, but they can be pricey. I have a chest strap one that I absolutely hate because it keeps losing my darn heart beat when I run. I also have a watch one, where you press a button to measure your heart rate--but you have to measure it often to be accurate, I usually check it once every 30 seconds or so while I jog, bike or walk. I stopped using the chest strap one because I feel like I at least have more control over the watch one, since I know it's reading my heart rate! Anyway, when I used them at the same time the readings matched up perfectly, so I think both are fine.
    Edit to add: The watch one I have is from wal-mart and was $20. The chest strap one was $45.

    This kinda goes to what I have always said, you get what you pay for, if you cheap out on one, it wont be accurate, I have a Polar one with a chest strap, I run swim, bike etc and it never loses my HR
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
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    I don't own one yet. I asked the instructor for my aqua class about hers and she said hers is a Sportsline from Walmart for $27. She said she had it for over a year and it was accurate. She was wearing it in the water. Sounds good for the price.
  • ErinMarie25
    ErinMarie25 Posts: 733 Member
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    A watch HRM will be the cheapest. Chest straps cost more. You can get a cheap one at Walmart in the fitness section. I also saw some at Target the other day.

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